Q&A with Ward 4 incumbent Brandon Todd

Part of our Ward 4 voters guide

What made you decide to run for reelection?

“[During my five years in office] we have made significant reforms on things that residents told me about. We have put more money in their pockets, and introduced legislation that creates the Senior Dental Services Program, procuring a [hearing aid] rebate program, created a senior legal clinic at the University of the District of Columbia law school. We really focused on economic opportunity: corridors like Georgia Avenue, Riggs Road, and South Dakota Avenue, Eastern Avenue, 13th and 14th Streets, making sure that those corridors are receiving investments from the District of Columbia. … We started a lot of great work and we have so much left to do, and that’s why I’m running for reelection.”

What differentiates you from the others in the race?

“I tend to be more balanced on issues. I represent one of the most diverse wards in the District. I go all the way from Chevy Chase to Riggs Park, all the way to the Silver Spring line, and all the way down to the Petworth Metro. I think that it is important for the Ward 4 council member to have the ability to represent all 20 neighborhoods. They are all very, very unique and very different. I think it’s important for the Ward 4 council member to have the ability to represent them all across a number of issues; whether it’s tax issues, or public safety, or small-business issues, it’s important for the Ward 4 council member to be thoughtful and balanced on those issues.”

What do you hope to accomplish in your next term?

“We are going to experience significant budget shortfalls over the next few budgets. My first order of business will be protecting what we’ve already allocated in the budget [and six-year capital plan]. … Figuring out how to protect our school modernization budget, our recreation center budget …  library investments. I’m already focused on it and thinking about it right now. That will be among some of the first things I do — really work to protect future investments in our ward around schools, around public facilities. [It’s] going to be so critically important.”

What are the top three issues you would focus on if reelected?

“Doubling down on my commitment to bring affordable housing for families and seniors to Ward 4. We created or have over 2,000 in the pipeline to be completed by 2021. We know we need to do even more than that. So I’ll be very focused on preservation and creation of more affordable housing.

“[I am] very focused on making sure that our two public school sectors continue to grow and thrive together. We have amazing public charter schools. We have amazing traditional public schools in Ward 4. And making sure that those sectors continue to grow together is very, very important. …

“We have to really focus in on those who have invested in DC for so long and feel left out of the prosperity. Doubling down on our seniors, working families is a big priority, and figuring out how we expand affordable housing opportunities for Ward 4 families — it’s going to be those three things that are pillars of my next term.”